In the White Screen World—
After defeating Lt. Surge, Ash and his friends received an invitation from the "gender-swapped" Team Rocket to board the S.S. Anne.
However, the so-called "luxury cruise" turned out to be nothing more than a carefully laid trap!
Team Rocket operatives had already infiltrated the ship, waiting in ambush.
After a chaotic series of events, the S.S. Anne sank,
and Ash's trio, together with Jessie, James, and Meowth, barely escaped with their lives.
Having survived death itself, James, in frustration, kicked his useless Magikarp into the sea—
only for the abandoned Magikarp to evolve right before his eyes!
Not only did it evolve into Gyarados,
it even summoned a whole school of Gyarados,
unleashing a raging sea storm that swept everyone onto a deserted island.
There, they encountered enormous Pokémon—
which turned out to be mechanical replicas.
After yet another brush with death, the two trios managed to escape and reached the nearby Blue Port City.
As soon as they arrived, the white-screen footage began to fade.
[Lance: So the S.S. Anne disaster really was Team Rocket's doing… a lot of wealthy people from Kanto went missing in that incident. Now that's what you call the work of a real villain organization.]
Ash's group may have narrowly escaped from the ship's lower decks,
and the rich passengers may have launched lifeboats—
but in a storm like that, even a lifeboat was no guarantee of survival.
Very few made it back alive.
While the footage focused on Ash and his friends' miraculous survival,
countless others had already perished in that storm.
Reality wasn't like an anime—
when people died, they stayed dead.
Ash and his friends had long realized how cruel the world could be.
Compared to the real Team Rocket,
the trio of Jessie, James, and Meowth… almost looked like they were running a charity.
[Professor Sycamore: By the way, James's kick was something else! He made Magikarp evolve into Gyarados with one hit! That's a rare case of 'Carp Leaps Over the Dragon Gate'—what powerful legs!]
[James: Stop reminding me! Even now, seeing that scene makes my heart ache! Damn it—if I hadn't kicked Magikarp away, Team Rocket would've had a super-strong Pokémon on our side by now!]
[Jessie: We've decided to officially name that move 'The Kick of Evolution!' Anyone who wants to evolve their Pokémon—come see us at Team Rocket HQ! One kick and boom, instant evolution!]
[Brock: Yeah, right! Even from Pewter City I can hear how dumb that plan is! Who'd fall for that?!]
As everyone joked and laughed in the live chat,
the black screen quietly flickered to life.
It was now Black World Ash's turn.
In the Black Screen World—
Ash and his companions arrived in Vermilion City early in the morning.
They had rested the night before, but even so, Ash still decided to stop by the Pokémon Center first.
After so many days of nonstop training and traveling through the wild,
ordinary massages and meals were no longer enough to fully recover their Pokémon's fatigue.
A proper rest at the Center was necessary.
When they arrived, Ash was stunned by the sight before him—
injured Pokémon filled the halls.
After hearing Nurse Joy's explanation of Lt. Surge's harsh methods,
Ash frowned deeply.
He wasn't worried about Surge's strength.
What angered him was the man's attitude toward his Pokémon.
Strict discipline was one thing—
but cruelty was another entirely.
After his team recovered, Ash—usually calm and composed—
headed straight for the Vermilion Gym without hesitation.
There, the towering Lt. Surge greeted them.
Just like in the White World,
he sneered at Ash and Pikachu.
"Yo, what's this? A cute little baby showing up for a battle? What's with those metal rings, baby—trying to look cool? Maybe go back and play dress-up, hahahaha!"
His gym staff joined in, laughing along with him.
Misty and Brock exchanged awkward looks.
Did he just call that thing a toy?
A toy that weighs eighty pounds?!
[Blaine: Hahaha! Surge, that arrogance really came back to bite you, didn't it?]
[Lt. Surge: Stop, stop! I've already repented! Seeing my old self makes me want to jump off a cliff! This live comparison is just broadcasting my dark history!]
He couldn't believe how cringeworthy he'd once been.
Calling other people "baby" every five seconds?
Embarrassing didn't even begin to cover it.
[Brock: If I remember correctly, Surge's badge was actually the only one among Ash's first five that he won purely through strength.]
[Lt. Surge: WHAT?!]
Wait, I'm the only one who actually lost in battle? The others just handed him badges?!
[Sabrina: I gave him the Marsh Badge because he made me laugh.]
[Erika: I gave him the Rainbow Badge after he rescued my Pokémon.]
[Serena: …Let's talk about how exactly he made you laugh.]
[Lance: Wait a sec—this world's Ash is also good at charming girls?]
[Misty: Hah! Not even close! It wasn't him who made Sabrina laugh—it was the Haunter he found in Lavender Town! If White World Ash's emotional IQ were as high as Black World Ash's, I'd already be his girlfriend by now!]
Black World Ash really was different—
whether it was the six-year-old Serena from his past, or the Misty of this world,
he always treated girls with a quiet kind of warmth and respect.
Back to the Black Screen—
Facing Surge's ridicule, Ash's expression turned cold,
and Pikachu's cheeks sparked with irritation.
Though Ash was calm and calculating by nature,
he was still a teenager—
and teenagers had pride and fire in their hearts.
So of course he wasn't going to just smile and take it.
"Are we going to battle or not? If all you can do is talk big, just hand me the badge now."
"Heh… sharp tongue for such a small fry. Fine then, baby—let me show you what a real Pokémon looks like!"
Surge sent out his Raichu.
"This is Pikachu's evolved form—Raichu! This is what real power looks like!"
"The moment I caught Pikachu, I evolved it right away! Baby, if you don't have a Thunder Stone, I can lend you one! Hahahaha!"
Ash ignored the mockery and studied Raichu carefully.
A faint blue light flashed in his eyes—
—the power of Aura.
Also known as his Battle Power Detector.
Through it, he could roughly gauge Raichu's life force and physical strength.
Raichu was strong, yes—
but nowhere near the level of the colossal Dragonite he had fought before.
In fact, even Brock's Onix was only slightly weaker.
And this guy dares to brag like that?
"Pikachu," Ash said coolly, "take off your gear and show him how a real baby fights."
"Pika!"
Pikachu's eyes gleamed with excitement.
To be allowed to fight at full strength—
what better way to answer such insults?
At first, Surge didn't understand what Ash meant.
Then Pikachu began to unbuckle the four metal rings strapped to his body.
Each one hit the ground with a heavy clang.
Sweat trickled down Surge's forehead.
No way… those things weren't just decorations, were they?!
You mean to tell me this tiny Pikachu's been carrying weights this whole time?!
Judging by the sound alone—
at least twenty kilos, maybe more!
And when Pikachu tossed off the final iron ring from his tail,
it struck the floor with another THUD.
Now unburdened, Pikachu hopped on the spot,
testing the newfound lightness of his body—
ready to show them what an "eighty-pounds baby" could really do.
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